Industrial Talk and Visit for Students

Abstract

Exposure to real life industries is one of the key elements implicitly emphasized in the Program Outcomes (PO) for students graduated from Chemical and Biochemical Engineering programs. The Department of Chemical and Process Engineering (JKKP) has implemented the Industrial Talk and Industrial Visit activities since 2006, following suggestions from the program external assessors. The activities are important for students to relate their theoretical knowledge to practical aspects of the studied courses, in terms of industrial unit operations, process and design concepts, and impact of its activities on health, safety, environment and society. Recently, the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment has proposed that students from each academic year should be exposed to industrial talks (twice a year) and industrial visits (once a year). This paper elaborates on the objectives and experiences gained by the JKKP in implementing these activities. The strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement are also identified and discussed. It can be concluded that a good coordination and a proper assessment methods, selection of industrial sites for visit as well as speakers or topics for talks are important for enhancing students’ practical learning.